@CricketNerd_IND: Two hundred and forty-eight runs. We didn't just beat New Zealand โ we controlled the entire match. From 420 on the board to bowling them out for 172. We are going to Ahmedabad. ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฅ
@FanGirl_Sid: Still emotional. Watching Siddanth Deva set that field for Kane Williamson and then bring the ball back was pure planning. The open cover boundary did its job. โจ
@DesiCricketMemes:ย
New Zealand walking out to chase 421: "We have done hard things before."ย
India after 20 overs: "Sit down." ๐๐
@ViratKohliFans: Virat Kohli's 117 and Siddanth Deva's 144 not out in a World Cup Semi-Final. The top order took the game away early and never let it come back. ๐๐ฅ
@EnglishCricketView: That spell from Deva was high-class. He left the cover boundary open on purpose, bowled the outswingers to set the picture, then produced the one that came back. Williamson had no answer. ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ง
@CricStatsLive: 248-run margin in a World Cup Semi-Final is rare. Bumrah and Shami with the new ball, Deva breaking the partnership, Jadeja and Kuldeep finishing it. Complete bowling performance. ๐
@TeamIndiaFans: The moment Deva's yorker hit Mitchell's middle stump the whole ground lifted. Reverse swing at its best under lights. ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ณ
@PaceBowlingFan: Shami's seam position in those early overs was excellent. Upright, hitting the deck hard, letting the surface and the breeze do the rest. Proper fast bowling. ๐โโ๏ธ๐จ
@TeluguBidda_99: Anna delivered again. 144 with the bat and the two big wickets with the ball. Hyderabad is loud tonight. Finals, here we come. ๐ฅ๐ช
@SanjuSamsonFans: Sanju's 78 set the base with Virat. Without that partnership the total does not reach 420. Full team effort. ๐โค๏ธ
@BlackCapsFan: Tough to take, but we were outplayed in every department. 421 was always going to be difficult against this attack. Well played, India. Go win it. ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ค๐ฎ๐ณ
@SarcasticDesi:ย
BCCI: "Win the semi-final cleanly."ย
Indian team: "420, then 172, and make it look straightforward." ๐๐ฅ
@PriyaTalksCricket: The phone lights coming on across the stands after the last wicket, and the crowd singing together. Those moments stay with you. โจ
@CricketHistoryIN: Strong statement from the defending champions. The Final is set. ๐
@GamerCricFan: Deva moves one fielder, bowls the exact ball needed, and the big wicket falls. He reads the game as well as anyone. ๐ฎ
@SportsFreakIN: Bumrah's inswinger to Conway still looks unplayable on replay. Late movement, perfect length. ๐ฏ๐ฅ
@BCCIWatch: Dressing room is happy but already talking about recovery and the next preparation block. Celebrate tonight, switch on tomorrow. ๐คซ๐
@MemeKing_Hyd: Kane Williamson staring at the pitch after the LBW. He knew exactly what had happened. The open gap did its job. ๐
@CricCrazyJohn: Even with 420 on the board the Indian fielders kept diving and saving singles deep into the innings. The standard never dropped. ๐๐
---
When the umpire's finger went up for the final time and Trent Boult was given out, the reaction across the country was immediate.
In Mumbai, Marine Drive filled within minutes. Cars moved slowly with flags hanging out of windows. People on scooters high-fived strangers on the footpath. The continuous sound of horns mixed with shouting and laughter. Groups gathered near the sea wall, watching replays on phones and cheering every time the Williamson LBW or the Mitchell yorker came on screen.
In Bengaluru, a large sports bar in Indiranagar was packed wall to wall. When the last wicket fell the DJ cut the music and switched the live commentary feed through the main speakers. Ravi Shastri's voice boomed across the room: "India are in the Final."ย
A few seconds of pure noise followed, then a heavy dhol track dropped. People climbed onto tables, arms around colleagues and strangers, voices already hoarse from three hours of shouting. Drinks were spilled, phones were held high for videos, and the relief of beating New Zealand in a knockout was written on every face.
Further inland, the scenes were smaller but just as warm. At a roadside tea stall near a highway outside Jaipur, several truck drivers had parked their vehicles and sat on charpoys around a small television running on a generator. The tea vendor kept pouring free cups of sweet cardamom chai.
"That swing from Bumrah," one driver said, pointing at the screen. "The ball started one place and finished somewhere else."
"And the captain," the vendor replied, wiping a glass. "He did not rush. He waited for the right moment, set the field, and took the big wickets. That is how you close a game."
Similar gatherings happened in many towns. Fireworks that had been saved from Diwali were brought out onto rooftops in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. The country knew it was going to a home World Cup Final.
---
The next morning the newspapers carried large photographs and bold headlines.
The Times of India ran a wide shot of Deva and Kohli embracing on the pitch under the headline: India power into Final with 248-run win.
The Hindu focused on the bowling: New-ball pair and captain's spell sink New Zealand.
Outside an engineering college in Pune the air was still cool. Five students stood at a small tea stall, hoodies pulled up, cups of cutting chai in hand.
Varun took a sip and tapped the side of his cup.
"The game turned in that middle phase," he said. "Williamson and Mitchell were rebuilding. The rate was high but they were not panicking. Williamson was reading Kuldeep late and using the pace of Jadeja."
Siddharth leaned against the counter. "Still, 421 is a huge total. Most teams would have folded earlier."
"That is why Deva brought himself on," Aman said. "He saw the partnership settling. He did not throw the ball to someone else. He took it."
Varun nodded. "And the field. He walked over, moved the extra-cover fielder inside the circle, and left the boundary open. Three outswingers in a row. Williamson leaves or defends. Then the fourth ball โ same action, same release, but it nips back. Williamson is already committed to the drive. Pad. Out. Clean."
They finished their tea, still talking through the sequences. The appreciation was for the clear planning and the precision of the execution.
---
While the Indian team travelled to Ahmedabad, the second semi-final took place at Eden Gardens between Australia and South Africa.
The pitch was dry and offered turn. South Africa batted first and found scoring difficult against the Australian pace attack. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood used the new ball well, finding movement and forcing mistakes. South Africa were kept to 212, held together largely by a determined century from David Miller.
Chasing 213 on that surface was never straightforward. The South African spinners extracted sharp turn and bounce. Wickets fell at regular intervals and the required rate climbed. Australia lost early wickets and the match became a scrap.
In the end it came down to the lower order. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were at the crease with runs still needed. They did not play expansive shots. They blocked the turning ball, took the ones that were available, and refused to panic. Cummins eventually steered a short ball past backward point for the boundary that took Australia home by three wickets.
It was a typical Australian knockout performance โ not always pretty, but effective under pressure.
The Final was confirmed: India versus Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
---
The Indian team flight landed in Ahmedabad to a large reception. Even with heavy security, crowds had gathered outside the airport. Flags, posters and chants of the players' names filled the air as the team bus moved slowly through the cordoned route.
Inside the bus the mood was calm. Most players wore headphones or spoke quietly. Siddanth Deva sat near the front, looking out of the window at the sea of blue jerseys and tricolours. Rohit Sharma made a short comment about the noise. Virat Kohli simply nodded.
At the hotel the security ring was tight. A small group of local children who had been waiting for hours managed to get close enough to hand over a few handmade cards. One of them was for Deva. He took it, read the short message, and gave the child a brief smile and a thumbs-up before walking inside.
Later that evening the team held a short meeting. Rahul Dravid spoke about recovery, clarity of roles, and treating the Final as another game that required the same standards they had shown all tournament. Deva added only a few words: the plans were already clear, the focus needed to stay on execution, and the occasion should be enjoyed without being overwhelmed by it.
---
The newspapers the following day carried a different tone. Alongside images of the current Indian squad were photographs from the 2003 Final โ Ricky Ponting raising his bat in Johannesburg.
Headlines spoke of the twenty-year gap and the chance for a new generation to face Australia on the biggest stage.
In Shivaji Park, Mumbai, the regular morning walkers discussed it as they moved around the ground.
"Australia again," Mr. Kulkarni said. "They have a habit of finding a way in these matches."
"They showed it in Kolkata," Mr. Deshpande replied. "Under pressure from the spin, wickets falling, and still they finished it."
Mr. Sharma walked a few steps in silence before speaking. "I remember 2003 clearly. We had played well throughout. Then Ponting took the game away. The first over went for plenty and the chase never settled. I could not watch the second innings properly."
"We were outplayed that day," Mr. Kulkarni agreed.
"This group is better prepared," Mr. Deshpande said. "The bowling has clear plans. The captain does not get rushed. That is the difference."
In a Gurugram office the same conversation took place during a coffee break.
"I was eight years old," Samuel said, leaning against the counter. "Painted face, plastic bat, sitting in front of the old television. Ponting kept hitting sixes. I cried. My father eventually switched it off."
"They scored 359," Karan added. "At the time that total felt unreachable. When Sachin fell early it felt like the match was already over."
Aditi smiled at the memory. "And the next day at school everyone was talking about a spring in the bat. We actually believed it for a while."
The three of them laughed, then the tone shifted.
"This one feels different," Karthik said. "Bilateral series wins are fine. A World Cup Final against them is what a lot of us have waited for."
"They still have Head and Starc," Aditi said.
"We have a settled side, form, and a captain who plans properly," Sameer replied. "Sunday is the day many of us have thought about for a long time."
---
On the evening before the Final the Indian team kept the environment light but focused. Some players played cards in a corner of the hotel lounge. Others sat with family members who had been cleared to visit.
In the Deva suite the atmosphere was calm. Aadhya was drawing on a sheet of paper, explaining to anyone who would listen that her father was going to "hit the ball very far." Rishi sat near the window with a small notebook, occasionally looking up at the floodlights visible in the distance.
Krithika watched her husband check a few messages and then put the phone aside.
"You look settled," she said.
"The work is done," Deva replied. "Now it is about repeating what we have practised. The crowd will be loud. The occasion will be big. The plans stay the same."
He walked over to Rishi and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"You ready for tomorrow?"
Rishi nodded once. "You said you would finish the job."
"That is the idea," Deva said.
---
@CricketNerd_IND: India versus Australia in the World Cup Final. The side that defined so many childhoods against the side that has looked strongest for the last month. Huge occasion. ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฅ
@AussieSportsFan: Never write Australia off when the games matter most. See you in Ahmedabad. ๐๐
@DesiCricketMemes:ย
Trying to sleep the night before the Final.ย
Brain: "What if Head gets away? What if Starc finds early swing?"ย
Long night. ๐ญ
@CricketHistoryIN: 2003 Johannesburg. 2023 Ahmedabad. Twenty years later the two sides meet again in a Final. ๐
@FanGirl_Sid: Home ground, full house expected, bowling attack in form. India will walk out ready. โจ
@EnglishCricketView: Strong final on paper. India's consistency against Australia's ability to win tight contests. The captaincy duel between Deva and Cummins will be worth watching. ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
@TeamIndiaFans: Ponting will be in the commentary box. The current group has the chance to write a different result. ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ณ
@PaceBowlingFan: Bowling to Head and Warner on a good Ahmedabad surface will test Bumrah and Shami. They will need to be precise with the new ball. ๐โโ๏ธ๐จ
@ViratKohliFans: Kohli has carried the batting through the tournament. A big contribution in the Final would complete the picture. ๐
@SanjuSamsonFans: Sanju in a World Cup Final. His job will be to see off the new ball against Starc and Hazlewood. ๐โค๏ธ
@SarcasticDesi:ย
Australia: "We know how to win Finals."ย
India: "We have been the most consistent team for five weeks." ๐
@CricStatsLive: Australia's record in World Cup Finals is strong. India will need a complete performance. Small margins. ๐
@TeluguBidda_99: Anna and the team are ready. The whole state is behind them. ๐ฅ๐ช
@PriyaTalksCricket: Tickets and hotels have been hard to find for days. Ahmedabad will be the centre of attention. ๐๏ธ
@GamerCricFan: Prefer India batting first. Chasing a big total against that Australian attack in a Final is difficult. ๐บ
@CricCrazyJohn: One of the key match-ups will be Deva against Zampa in the middle overs. If Deva settles he can put pressure on the leg-spinner. ๐
@BCCIWatch: Team is in Ahmedabad. Security is tight. Preparation is on schedule. ๐คซ๐
@MemeKing_Hyd:ย
2003 fans: "There must have been something in the bat."ย
2023 fans: "We are checking the bats early this time." ๐๐
@SportsFreakIN: 130,000 capacity. Big stage. The noise will be constant. ๐๏ธ
@The_Master_Architect: One match left. The work is done. Ready for Ahmedabad. ๐ฅ๐